Proverbs 22:17-21

Wise lessons are valuable. And they are important. We need to study these lessons. We should learn them. These lessons teach us how we should live. And they will teach us how to answer other people’s questions.

There are 30 wise lessons in Proverbs 22:17 to Proverbs 24:22. The number ‘30’ was important to Solomon. It meant that there were many lessons. And they were great lessons. Other ancient books from different nations also contain 30 wise lessons. The people from these nations believed that their own books contained great lessons too. But the Bible is a special book. God provided the Bible to teach us how we should live. He helped the authors of the Bible to write the right things. And God guides us by the Bible today.

v22 Do not cheat poor people because they are poor.

Do not be cruel to them in the court.

v23 God will defend them.

God will attack those who attack poor people.

Verses 22 - 23

God looks after poor people. God does not think that poor people are less important than rich people. God considers that a widow’s coin is more valuable than a rich man’s large gift. (Mark 12:41-44).

Other people might not protect poor people. But God will protect poor people. He made them, and they belong to him. Jesus said, ‘I tell good news to the poor people.’ (Matthew 11:5).

We too must care about poor people. The first Christians were not wealthy. (1 Corinthians 1:26). But they shared their money with poor people (Romans 12:13). And we too should help poor people.

v24 If a man has a bad temper, then do not become his friend.

If a man is angry, then do not go with him.

v25 You might learn his bad attitudes.

His anger could destroy you.

Verses 24 - 25

Anger causes many problems. Anger can cause fights and arguments. It can even cause wars. Avoid the company of people who have a bad temper. You will get into trouble.

v26 When someone else receives a loan,

do not promise to pay the debt.

v27 If you cannot pay, then you will lose everything.

You will even lose the bed that you are lying on.

Verses 26 - 27

We should be careful with money. Money is God’s gift, so we should use our money wisely. We should not risk our money on foolish schemes. We should not waste it on a bet. And we should not help jealous people who demand our money.

Verse 26 seems to describe a common problem at Solomon’s time. See Proverbs 6:1-5; Proverbs 11:15 and Proverbs 17:18. Jesus also mentioned that we should be careful to calculate the cost of our plans (Luke 14:28-30).

We should help poor people with our money. But we should choose carefully whom we help. And we should decide carefully how to help them. So we need to ask God to guide us.

In verse 27, the man is lying in bed because he is lazy. We need to work in order to look after money. We must not be lazy about our money. And we must not be lazy about other gifts that God provides. Jesus told a story about this subject - Luke 19:11-27.

v28 Do not move an ancient fence.

Obey the ancient agreement.